( The Serious Shoes )

“There’s not much in my wardrobe that I’ve owned as long as these shoes. We crossed paths in 2004, when I received them as a present after finishing my studies. I was starting my first job and finally I needed to get serious. So, I needed to look serious. These shoes pretty much did the job.

I remember when I got them they came in a beautiful cotton bag that I’ve lost track of by now. It all felt really adult. The shoes almost demanded to be taken good care of, and so I did. One morning, in 2010, I decided to polish the shoes whilst suffering a major hangover. This wasn’t a bright idea; by accident I dipped the brush into the wrong color polish. It was already too late when I noticed; the light brown shoes had turned partly dark brown.

I rushed to the shoemaker in a frenzy, but he couldn’t save them. The only thing I could do was change the color for good, into a dark brown. I decided to make the best of it and I kept on wearing them. Sometimes I wonder if I’m cheap for not throwing them out and just buying new ones. But I like the memory they represent, I’m silly like that. Plus, the shoes make me look kind of sexy. They remind me of when I turned from a boy into a man. That part can never be replaced.”

( Wouter )
( The Netherlands )